Dylan Earl’s fourth album – Level-Headed Even Smile – is a ten-track record full of catchy tunes and beautiful vocals, which builds on the themes of his previous albums and provides a little glimpse into Earl’s psyche and a little piece of Arkansas.
As someone who has seen Dylan Earl play live many times since the release of his last album, I am familiar with the majority of the tracks on this album, but as Dylan is keen to ensure, the versions you hear live are not carbon copies of the recordedings. This means I came into this review wondering what additional levels there would be on my favourite songs and how they would all fit together. Hearing the album as recorded – with the instrumentation that is hard to replicate when touring Europe, and the backing vocals – added a new dimension to those songs.
The album starts with the title track, an upbeat song whose lyrics tell of many people’s struggle with keeping an even keel. The backing vocals are worth paying special attention to – especially if you are familiar with other artists on Gar Hole Records. This is followed by Get In The Truck – another catchy song which encompasses the enjoyment of living a peripatetic life-style/travelling without a need to get to any particular place – something many of us wish for. The mandolin and dobro on this are as great as the song itself.
Next up is one of my favourites on the album. Broken Parts is a mid-tempo song, inviting you to sway along. Strangely, this is the only one I haven’t heard played live – and boy had I missed out! The backing vocals are beautiful, and I will be interested to see how it sounds without them. The lyrics are what you expect from Dylan Earl – not the bog-standard fare you get from many country artists – and they give a glimpse into a world you rarely see reflected in music. I expect anyone who enjoys this to be singing along after one listen.
Little Rock Bottom – an “ode” to Little Rock – is fourth. One of the faster, happier sounding tracks on the album, although the lyrics seem to suggest otherwise. This mixture of the lyrics – which seem to be about doing the best with the cards you’ve been dealt – and the upbeat music create a memorable and catchy song. It’s easy to see why it was chosen as a single.
Two Kinds of Loner – the second of my favourites on this record. There is some of Dylan’s history in this song, and the feeling you get when listening reflects that well. The backing vocals on the chorus are beautiful. Anyone familiar with Jude Brothers will be able to hear her on this. The way this song ends is great.
High on Ouachita was the first single, and is probably the most obvious Dylan Earl song on the album, sounding like it would have fit nicely on its predecessor I Saw The Arkansas.
Outlaw Country says everything that most fans of Dylan Earl love about him. He is not a stereotypical Southern man or country artist – he is a country artist not afraid to stand up for his beliefs, which is probably why he’s put in the ‘americana’ bracket. The guitar on this track alone is worth listening to. There is nothing I don’t like about this song – it’s only beaten for me by the two aforementioned tracks due to my penchant for the sadder song.
White River Valley is a Jimmy Driftwood cover, but fits beautifully with the other songs. There is a timeless appeal to the tune and the way it’s been recorded does the source material justice and is a nice intro to Jimmy Driftwood for those not bought up seeped in the vastness of the country music genre.
I’m not sure what to say about Lawn Chair. I was surprised to hear it had been recorded, and whilst entertaining – and great to sing along to at a gig – to find it on an album after being an unrecorded frequent fan request for many years seems a little strange. That said, it fits well with the feeling of the album.
The last song on the record is another cover – this time Utah Phillips’ Rock Me To Sleep. A lovely slow track that counterpoints Lawn Chair well, and is a great way to end the album.
At 31 minutes, Level-Headed Even Smile leaves you wanting more, but I love that this is becoming more frequent. Wanting to play an album again as soon as you finish it is the sign of a good record, and filling one with sub-par songs to increase the run time is not the way to win fans. Leave them wanting more – this album definitely does that.
If you live in the UK, Dylan will be playing Black Deer in the City Festival in October, followed by a few dates in the northern half of the country before heading over to Sweden. The album is out now, and can be bought direct from Gar Hole Records if you want to cut out the middle man.
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